


our last night on earth

by DesertLily



Series: Saturnalia 2020 [6]
Category: Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hunger Games Setting, Bittersweet Ending, Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland-centric, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hunger Games, Hunger Games-Typical Death/Violence, POV Elphaba, Romance, Tenderness, Whirlwind Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28420968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertLily/pseuds/DesertLily
Summary: Elphaba had expected nothing but death in the Games after volunteering to protect her sister. What she hadn't expected was to find a single, pure moment of love.
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp/Galinda Upland
Series: Saturnalia 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057067
Comments: 8
Kudos: 17





	our last night on earth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Crystalinastar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crystalinastar/gifts).



> A very late Saturnalia gift for a friend!!

From an outside perspective, no one ever gave much thought to the Games. At least, those in the poorer districts never did. Why would they? Every year they just sent two more children off to die a brutal death on live television. They never won. They never could. The wealthy districts trained their tributes from birth; trained them how to fight, kill, and  _ hunger _ for blood. It wasn’t training Elphaba had ever had. Her father being the mayor of District Twelve didn’t mean anything when the district was full of poverty - particularly when Elphaba’s  _ unique _ complexion left her on the fringe of society. 

No one ever volunteered in District Twelve. It was a death sentence and they all knew it. District Twelve never won. Their tributes were never remembered. Anyone with any degree of sensibility kept to themselves. They paid their respects to the tribute’s family and that was that. But Elphaba had long since been robbed of the chance to be ‘sensible’ - especially when it came to her sister. No matter what anyone thought of her or even what Nessa herself thought of her, there wasn’t a single thing Elphaba wouldn’t do for Nessa Rose. After all, wasn’t it her fault Nessa was stuck in her chair? And when Nessa’s name was called at the Reaping, Elphaba found herself volunteering without question. Nessa would be missed if she did. Elphaba wouldn’t. It would be a simple exchange. 

Her father didn’t come to wish her goodbye. No one did. The most she got was a polite ‘thank you’ from Nessa. It was a brutal reminder that she really was just nothing. She really was just  _ no one _ . There was no one back home that cared for her fate. Nobody waved goodbye as she boarded the train to the Emerald City. Nobody wept as they realised Elphaba would never come home. Nobody cared. It was as much of a sting as it was a relief. She had seen the way families had coped with the loss of their children. She wouldn’t wish that degree of emotional pain on anyone. Not even her father. 

The reception she received in the Emerald City was...overwhelming. They were not horrified by her green skin; they were in awe of it. She had even had one of her stylists excitedly inform her it would most likely start a fashion trend if she was lucky. The prospect of people looking like her didn’t make her feel lucky. It made her feel like a novelty. She was just as much of an outcast in the city as she watched back home. At least District Twelve had been honest about how they felt about her. She was as green as the rest of the Emerald City but she was also just as much of an outcast there. Even if her stay would be nothing but brief. No matter how much she would ‘start a trend’ or how ‘awe-inspiring’ she was, these were the same people that would be cheering as she was slaughtered for sport. 

Training was an..odd experience. She was learning different ways to kill someone around the people she was supposed to kill (who would most likely kill her first). Elphaba did her best to stick to herself - her district never got any allies anyways. They were always the first ones gone. Though, it seemed as if this year would be different. 

“A volunteer from District Twelve! I don’t think there’s been one of them in my lifetime!” The voice was preppy enough that it made Elphaba  _ flinch _ . Glancing up, she was greeted by a blonde tribute looming over her. Galinda, the girl from District Two. Someone she hadn’t expected to give her the time of day. “There must have been something you’re hiding for that kind of boldness! Some secret skill.” A smile that was  _ almost _ friendly crossed her face. “You can tell me. I’m good at keeping secrets, Elphie. Even better at making friends.” 

Elphaba crinkled her nose at the nickname. “Well,  _ Glinda _ , there’s no secret skills or illusions of grandeur. My sister wouldn’t last five minutes in the games and I won’t be missed back home. Nothing extraordinary behind it. Just trying to protect Nessa.” She hoped the other tribute wouldn’t find it too boring. 

“Bravery is as good of a skill as any.” Galinda nudged Elphaba slightly to make room at the current station she had been working on - rope tying, of all things. “Not one most tributes have. Not one I'm even sure I have most of the time.” The conversation was..odd, to say the least. Either this was some strange tactic to try and get Elphaba to let her guard down during the games, or Galinda really did just have no one else she could tell she was scared. After all, who would believe the girl from District Twelve if she started rumours about a tribute from District Two? “Someone brave could make a good ally.” 

Now that  _ definitely _ threw Elphaba off guard. “What about the other Career tributes?” It was rare anyone from One, Two, or Four formed alliances with anyone but each other. They were all trained to fight. They all worked well together. “I’m not going to win you any fights or be much help hunting down other tributes. Practically a dead weight.” 

Galinda rolled her eyes in a way that was as good as condescending. “There’s no loyalty between Careers. Not even the smallest amount. Fiyero was a good friend back home, but I know he won’t hesitate to tear me to shreds once we’re inside the arena.” That was true enough. After all, when all was said and done, there would only ever be one winner. “Need someone I know either can’t kill me or won’t try from the beginning.” 

“I...don’t know whether to be offended or not.” Elphaba found herself laughing for what felt like the first time in years. It was absolutely ridiculous. Someone wanted to be her ally for the simple reason they foolishly thought she was  _ brave _ . Was brave even the right word? Or was she just hardened from living a life as an outsider? “But you want me as an ally? Seriously?” 

An arm moved to wrap itself around Elphaba’s shoulders. “Of course I do! I need only the best allies I can find.” She grinned, showing off teeth that were far too sharp and far too white. “So, what do you say, Elphie? WIll you join up with me?” 

“You know what, Glinda? Sure. Not as if I have anything to lose.” 

Training changed after that. No longer did Elphaba train on her own. She trained with Galinda (even if she stubbornly continued to refer to her as Glinda). Galinda taught her some degree of self-defence whilst proudly demonstrating the many ways she could kill her without question. It was...stunning to watch; enchanting, even. It caused emotions that Elphaba hadn’t entirely thought herself capable of feeling. Either way, it brought the two of them together. They grew to be the closest thing to friends two tributes could get. Would they mourn each other? Probably not. Wouldn’t they look out for each other? Only until there was no one else left. 

There was an odd harmony between the two of them once they got inside the arena. This year it took the form of a forest landscape just as green as the Emerald City and Elphaba herself. Even if it was just trees, it still managed to be insufferable in a way she could barely comprehend. But she and Galinda made a good team. They took a defensive position, acting tactically as they tried to simply  _ survive _ . Hell, Elphaba had even got her own kills in! The experience had been as horrifying as it was satisfying. It was as if all real morals and logic disappeared once the games began; all that mattered was surviving. And both Galinda and Elphaba did survive. 

There were five tributes left when the two of them realised just what exactly was going to happen. They had set up a camp, curled up besides each other as they watched the images of fallen tributes being projected onto the sky. Soon enough, one of theirs would join them. “...So this is it then?” Elphaba could barely bring herself to speak above a whisper. The cameras and microphones would pick up every word anyways, but she could at least gift herself the illusion of privacy. “Soon enough you’ll...you’ll kill me and you win.” 

Galinda’s eyes were sharp as they focused on Elphaba, watching her with a degree of confusion. “Elphie...I’m not going to just kill you.” There was a sincerity to her voice that she hadn’t been expecting. “It’ll be a fair fight if we survive until then. I...I wouldn’t just kill an ally like that.  _ I wouldn’t kill you _ .” 

Elphaba was quiet for a few moments as if she couldn’t quite comprehend what exactly Galinda was saying. “But you have to win, Galinda. Why...Why wouldn’t you be able to-” The words were cut off as a pair of lips pressed against her own.  _ Galinda’s lips _ . Oh. It took a moment for it to fully register, but then Elphaba was returned the kiss as if nothing else in the universe mattered. Because it didn’t. The world didn’t matter. The Emerald City didn’t matter. The Games didn’t matter. All that mattered was Elphaba and Galinda, and the fact they still had each other. 

Galinda moved to tuck a few strands of Elphaba’s hair behind her ear, pulling her close. “In another world with so much more time, we could have been incredible, Elphie. We could have been something spectacular.” 

“We could have taken on the world and won.” The laugh that escaped Elphaba was nothing but bittersweet. That night, she fell asleep in Galinda’s arms and dreamt of a different world that would give them a happy ending. That night, she fell asleep feeling truly loved for the first and last time in her short life. 

In the end, neither Elphaba or Galinda won the games. They had gone down fighting  side-by-side until Fiyero was announced the winner of the games. They would both be remembered, though. The star-crossed lovers ten districts apart.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated or hmu @ desert-lily on tumblr!


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